When BMW previewed the Vision Driving Experience in the United States a couple of months ago, the concept was still cloaked in the familiar camouflage film typically seen on prototypes testing in public. Now, the disguise has come off for Auto Shanghai, where the VDX is celebrating its public debut.
Rather than spraying the bonkers quad-motor EV in a standard paint color, BMW opted for a bold approach. The concept features a self-illuminating paint finish with light-sensitive pigments that charge during the day. At night, depending on how much energy has been absorbed while the sun was out, the yellow hue shifts from a subtle whitish tone to vivid neon.
But that’s not all. The VDX also wears what BMW refers to as a “magic film”. Applied to the rear half of the vehicle, it creates a yellow-to-orange-to-pink gradient when exposed to UV light. And if that weren’t already eye-catching enough, the centerlock wheels feature eight LEDs, one for each spoke. These lights change color based on vehicle behavior: green when accelerating, orange when braking, and blue when regenerative braking is active. Of course, the kidney grille’s contour also lights up, indicating Neue Klasse cars will also have an illuminated front grille.
BMW has been experimenting with unconventional exterior finishes for years. Remember the Vantablack X6? That SUV was cloaked in a material capable of absorbing 99% of visible light. Then there was the iX Flow, which used E Ink with microcapsules containing oppositely charged black and white pigments to dynamically change the body color. More recently, the i Vision Dee brought real color to E Ink with 32 different hues.
We reckon it’s still early days for these high-tech finishes to become viable in production vehicles. However, they do make for striking visual statements on concept cars. Not that the VDX needed the extra help, since it was already impossible to miss.
